Donbass stands against Zelensky’s attmept to centralize Ukraine – Nikonorova

Donetsk, Dec 16 – DAN. The Ukrainian draft law to amend the Constitution flatly contradicts the Package of Measures and the nature of the Minsk Agreements, said DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova.

“The draft law introduced to parliament by the Ukrainian president Vladimir Zelensky is in fact an attempt to usurp the power by introducing the notion of present’s representatives, so called prefects, who have power to suspend any regulations adopted by local councils,” Nikonorova said.

She pointed out the fact that the document had not been coordinated with the Republics despite the fact that in the Normandy Four communique Zelensky confirmed the obligation to coordinate all the aspects of the special status and its incorporation in the Constitution with Donetsk and Lugansk.

The draft law does not mention the status, and it lacks the notion of region.

“This is nothing but constitutional cementing of the possibility to deprive Donbass of special status at any moment,” she said.

“Ukrainian authorities might try, as Poroshenko did, to legislate on the special status in transition articles, but Donbass will never agree to it. The status must be permanent as prescribed by the Minsk Agreements.”

“This draft law is a tighter version of the law Poroshenko pushed for. We emphasize that the published draft bill aims at even stronger centralization and advances unitary state. Ukraine’s representatives are untutored enough to present the draft bill a part of the Minsk Agreements implementation. In reality, the Package of Measures stipulates the contrary – decentralization of the state power.”*ot